Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-25
SAD SUICIDE.
LEWIS WO0DNANSBE SHOOTS HIMSELF
THROUGH THB HEAD,
At His Home at BrOksids, Just West Of
BrdgspOrt-Fhs Details Of
the Tragedy.

At eight o'clock yesterday morning
Lewis Woodmansee, well known in this
city, ended his life in most tragic manner
in his bedroom at bis home at Brookside,
about mile west of Bridgeport, on the
National pike. Mr.. Woodmansee had
been indisposed for several days, and the
OF the family had gone down to
breakfast, leaving him in his bedroom,
he would come to his morning
meal when he felt 80 disposed. just as
the clock struck eight, the members Of the
household in the dining room heard PTS
toll shot, but supposed it had been fired
out of doors. After breakfast,
Frank, q son of Mr.. Woodmansee,
went up stairs and called at his
fathers room to ask his condition,
and was Mortified, upon opening
the chamber door, to see his parent lying
pros trate across the bed apparently dead.
Frank did not realize the real state OF
affairs at first, and supposing his father to
be in fainting lit, his brother Joseph was
sent to Bridgeport at once TO summon u
physician. Doctors Fisher and Cook were
summoned, and went to call on the dying
man with all haste. At exactly eight
forty-fve DIR. Fisher arrived at the resi-
dence, and repairing to the room OF the
suffering man. found him in dying cOndi-
ton with a bullet hole in his forehead. No
effort was made to resuscitate the patient,
his pulse and respiration having become
very feeble, and reaction being necessary
before anything could possibly be done. At
g:l5, life depar ted, aud without becoming
conscious after the fatal shot, or without
struggle, breathing ceased, and all was ut an
end.
After death, the doctors made an exami-
nation and found that the suicide had been
committed with an old style thirty-two
calibre Smith * WeSson revolver, the ball
entering the right side of the forehead at
the angle, and about an inch above the
outer corner Of the left eye. The bill kept u
straight course. standiTga little to the left,
and upward, but did not appear at the
back OF the head. From the position IN
which he fell after the shot 1t is supposed
he sat upright on the edge Of the bed,
facing o large mirror in the door of ward
robe standing few feet away. The dead
man left note written Immediately before
the deed, concerning the reason therefor,
but the family refused to allow 1t made
public.
1t is supposed that Mr.. WoOdmansee
had become somewhat deranged over his
financial matters, although he had shown
no signs OF weakening, and aside from a
slight indispositiOn and severe attack OF
neuralgia, he was in reasonably good health
and spirits. On Tuesday last he was
slightly overcome by the heat, but nothing
serious was thought of it.
Mr.. WOOdmansee and his father-in-law,
Samuel Lewis, came TO Wheeling from ST.
Clairsville about the latter part Of 1866 or
early in 1867, and in the latter year they
took possession of the Old Monroe House
which stood ON the corner OF Main
and Tenth streets. They conducted
it for some time, and business
grew so rapidly that about 1870
a fOur-Story addition was built III the
rear on Tenth street, while the front part
was remOdeled and improved, making q
very attractive house, both inside and out,
and as material was rather high in those
days, the building cost quite round sum.
The name OF the hotel had
been changed TO Grant House,
in honor of General Grant, whose great
war record was then fresh in the minds OF
the people, and especially in that OF MIR.
WOOdmansee, ~ he had passed through
the war, with honor.
An incident that gave the Grant House
quite boom, occurred i'll 1869, when Cen
eIal Grant, who had just previously been
elected to the Presidency OF the United
States for the first time, visited the city
accompanied by his daughter Nellie and
son Fred. When he heard that the hotel
had been named after him he stopped
there. and during his stay about all of
Wheeling and several OF the surrounding
towns visited the hotel to see the President.
In fact the Grant House was one of
the best known hotels in the
country and it enjoyed quite 4 prosperous
and extended run, which was overcome by
a combination of adverse circumstances,
eliminating with the fire in ls76, which
obliterated it almost completely. Mr..
Woodmansee continued business in that
part of the hotel which now stands, hut
Later he abandoned that and left for Bel
mont county, where he lived till the time
of his death.
Mr.. WOOdmansee was member of the
Knights of Honor, a Mason, member Of
the G.. A. L. and also OF the National
Council. He leaves q wife and four grown
sons, two of whom have been living at
home, while the other two have lived
abroad several years.
Mr.. Lewis, Mr. WOodmansee's partner,
died some years ago, after which the latter
gentleman, who WAS a man OF remarkable
energy, continued the hotel business alone
up TO the time that he abandoned it,